Kerry Hutton, CEO Huttons Health
I was 37 when I found out I was perimenopausal. This has had a significant impact on my life as I was also trying for a baby. Being informed by a specialist that I had 2% chance of falling pregnant while all my friends were having children crushed me. Then symptoms started … Severe night sweats, joint pain, restless legs, lack of sleep, and lowered libido. Not to mention anxiety and depression with suicidal thoughts. I was obsessed with having a child however after 3 years of research, spending a fortune on fad remedies and tablets, and my then relationship falling apart, I finally came to terms with the fact that my life and my urge to have a child had to change.
I decided to put all my efforts into researching and better understanding menopause and all that it brings along. I realised that I was on my own on this journey as none of my friends could relate to my experience and I had nobody to talk to. However, my then career path helped. As a beauty therapist I found the courage to start talking about what I was going through with some of my clients. By doing so not only did I realise that I was not alone on this journey, but I also found relief in being able to relate to others who were experiencing similar symptoms, it was comforting to finally know I was not going crazy.